About the exhibition:Theatrum
Mundi, in partnership with the American Institute of Architects New
York Chapter, asked architects, designers, activists, artists, and
anyone interested in imagining new spaces in the city for free
expression to identify public spaces in New York City and propose
re-designs that transform them into places that activate the rights
enshrined in the First Amendment.Applicants
proposed architectural or performative designs (temporary or permanent)
that transform spaces in New York City into places for public
“demonstration.” This challenge was about re-imagining and idealizing
existing spaces that have the potential to animate the public,
especially spaces that are not traditionally considered in this frame.“New
York City has a rich history of creative and political expression,” says
Stephen Duncombe, project director and Theatrum Mundi fellow, “but with
the privatization of public space, the surveillance of political
communications, the commercialization of creative expression, and the
virtualization of social gatherings, we want to imagine how we can
transform spaces in the city into places for free expression. The
Designing for Free Speech challenge offers a forum to do this.”

A jury selected nine proposals to be exhibited at the Center for Architecture in New York City and be awarded a small sum toward their implementation. The public also selected two additional proposals via an online voting system at http://designingforfreespeech.org/gallery/. The jury consisted of Lance Jay Brown, FAIA; Henry N. Cobb, FAIA; Lisa Keller; Richard Sennett; Stephen Duncombe; Gianpaolo Baiocchi; Mary Miss; Mindy Thompson Fullilove; and Ida C. Benedetto.

Theatrum Mundi is a professional network of urbanists and artists in different cities co-directed by Richard Sennett, Saskia Sassen, and Richard Burdett. The collective consists of academics, architects, planners, and performing and visual artists, with the aim to stimulate discussion about practices spanning stage and street. www.theatrum-mundi.org